Charles Pears

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Pears's first commission was for a picture of a channel convoy for 100 guineas, first suggested in August 1940 but not confirmed until November 1940 (IWM:ART LD 761). In the meantime the committee agreed in principle to the purchase of another work, IWM:ART LD 662, for 100 guineas, and to a further commission, LD 760. Descriptions of these works are at (30-31).
The letter at (38) mentions that IWM:ART LD 761 was damaged. Pears describes this work as "one of the best things I have done".
Over the next few years, Pears suggested a number of subjects, some of which the Committee declined as diplomatically as it could. Other were either purchased after completion, or commissioned specifically, as follows:
· Aug/Sep 1941  commission for IWM:ART LD 1487, 100 guineas
· Sep 1941  purchase of LD 1410, then under the title Hell's Corner'. Notes on this subject are at (58) and (68)
· Idea of LD 1725 is proposed at (63-4); it was purchased in January 1942 for 100 guineas. Details of the subject are at (82)
· The idea for IWM:ART LD 1916 was favourably received by the Committee in February 1942, but not commissioned; it was purchased when completed, in April 1942. The initial offer of 50 guineas was rejected by Pears and he was paid 75 guineas
· LD 1881 was commissioned in February 1942 for 75 guineas (95). Details of the subject are at (145)
· IWM:ART LD 2175 was commissioned in May 1942, for 75 guineas (130), and delivered in June. Details of the subject are at (143-4).
· LD 2505 was commissioned in October 1942 for 100 Guineas (162); details are at (159)
· IWM:ART LD 2682 was commissioned in December 1942 for 100 guineas (174)
· LD 2808 was commissioned in February 1943 (209) for 50 guineas, directly from Gleadowe, and submitted in March.
· An unspecified naval subject was commissioned in June 1943 for 75 guineas  probably LD 3513, of which details are at (245-6)
· LD 3776 was commissioned in January 1944 for 75 guineas; details are at (271). The picture was delivered in February
· A further unspecified commission was made in May 1944 for 75 guineas; this was probably LD 4189.
Revised titles for IWM:ART LD 662 and LD 1410 are discussed at (75); details of LD 3153 are at (285), and of IWM:ART LD 1916 at (308-9), including a sketch. There is a b/w photograph at (93) of an unidentified picture.
In June 1942, a WAAC exhibition was lost at sea en route to South America, and with it two of Pears's pictures, IWM:ART LD 662 and LD 1410. Pears subsequently made a replica of the former work and presented it to the Committee in May 1943. There was much discussion over the title of this work, originally the somewhat loaded Norwegian Neutrality', changed to the Norwegian Coast', although the original title was put on the National Gallery postcard which was made of the image (an example is at (195)).
Other correspondence concerns requests for photographic source material, for example of subjects or ships; suggestions for works; and general enquiries.